Welcome, to our visitors, I'd like to call the meeting of the Support Services Committee,
call the meeting to order, Wednesday, April 8th, 2026.
First order of business is prayer, I'll take care of that as you bow your heads.
Heavenly Father, we gather here tonight to do the county's business, Father we ask that
that you will guide us, give us the strength, intelligence,
and the courage to do what's best for our constituents.
Father, again, we just thank you for this opportunity
to get together with some of the community
and the committee members.
And thank you, Lord, in Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.
Okay, 3.0 is approval of the agenda.
Can I get a motion?
No motion.
Motion by Ms. DeMeester.
I'll second it.
Second by Ms. Williams.
Any discussion?
Very none.
All those in favor, say aye.
Aye.
All those opposed, same sign.
Very none.
Motion passes.
Review and approval of meeting minutes
from March 11th, 2026.
Can I get a motion?
So, motion by Mr. Busker.
I'll second.
Second by Ms. DeMeester.
Any discussions?
Seeing none, all those in favor say aye.
Aye.
Those opposed, same sign.
Motion passes.
5.0 is approval of the claims.
That was total of $51,149.70.
Now does anyone want to see the bills?
No, I'll just look it online.
Okay.
Can I get a motion?
Motion to approve.
Motion by Mr. Hadley.
Second?
Second.
Second by Mr. Busker.
Any discussion?
Seeing none, all those in favor say aye.
Aye. Aye.
Those opposed, same sign.
Motion passes.
I have signed this.
Pass it along.
Thank you.
This point now is public comment.
Is there anybody here that isn't here for the youth diversion, that wants to speak?
Sam, Samuel, okay, reports to committee, Judge Howser, I actually called the judge this week,
I haven't talked to him in a while, and I know I haven't been in a meeting,
it's usually covered by one of the other folks, I said, you know, I appreciate that,
I said, just remind him, if anything comes up, to give me a call.
Paul. Okay. Moving on to Scobic Defender, Mr. Lutz, Dr. Tim, does we go?
Yep. The report got sent over from Lynn in my office. I don't know if anybody's got questions
about that or the content on any side of it. Other than that, we are doing well. We're
staffed as we need to be staffed and moving along. We are getting ready for the Stevenson
County Step Up Challenge. So I hope everybody enjoys the dust that will come in the wake
of that challenge. But good luck. You got some stiff competition. I got a couple dogs.
Do we have any questions from Mr. Lutz?
Seeing none, okay.
Next probation, Dr. McGee is absent.
Did you hear from her at all?
I talked to her this morning and she said she wasn't
100% sure if she was able to make it.
So now you've said she's had some things come up, so.
Yeah.
7.4, the State's Attorney, Mr. Larson.
Thank you.
Good evening, everyone.
You have my report in front of you.
In every category except juvenile,
we closed more cases than we opened this month,
which was a positive thing.
It feels like we're starting to come together
and things are falling into place.
It feels like the office is running more smoothly
than we have in quite some time.
I'd be happy to answer any questions you have,
but I know that you've got bigger things
on the agenda tonight.
So, I'll leave it at that.
Thank you.
Does anybody have any questions for Ms. Lawerski?
Seeing none.
Thanks, Carl.
Thank you.
We'll move on to Circuit Clerk, Ms. Cardell.
Good evening.
You also should have your report.
Yes.
One thing I wanted to mention,
we're going to start sending,
in certain jury trials,
we'll start sending a jury duty
after your service letter.
It just tells a little bit about how jury duty
can be rewarding, but also stressful and hard on people.
So it gives them some tips on managing that,
some fine text lines.
And we've spoken with Rose Grants and Senesibi Center,
and they're willing to speak with jurors
that need to talk or have just some relief
from serving for jury duty.
Okay, anybody have any questions for Ms. Pardella?
You know, I really enjoy being on the jury, you know, I've really done that search several times and I really liked it.
So one time I got paid, that's been a nice thing for me.
Yeah, sorry.
Yeah, that's right.
Texas, I see we only got so far collected about 1,053.
Is that kind of shorter than we usually get every year?
You know, I don't know and it's still early.
Once they get a letter saying that their taxes
are going to be taken and then they have 30 days
to object to that.
So a lot of people might be getting the letters
and we're not going to get it for a little bit of time.
So we won't see maybe an increase
Anyone else? Moving on to use diversion fees. For the month of April, $873.75 was deposited,
getting us a yearly total of $10,506.74. So it was quite a jump. That's about $250 higher
I will say when we did bookkeeping this month, there was a lot more payments than a lot that is from taxes, people just paying using their tax money.
That makes sense, yeah.
I got a question just verifying this huge diversion. So we anticipated $7,000 in revenue and $10,000 in expenditure. So that's all we can expend tonight is the $10,000. Correct? Yes. That's what I thought. I just want to make sure because we've had some big ones here and we got some little ones. So we only have $10,000 to spend. So, okay.
Yeah, it was, apparently the word got out, which is good, and that's what we're trying
to do.
So, old business, we have none.
New business is the approval of the recipients for the use diversion funding, and we do have
some, some guests, Chair, I don't know how we decide who wants to go first, who got here
first?
Or we could just, let's see, how many of you have one? Is there someone here from High Hope? Would you like to speak, sir?
Come over here, please.
You have to be on the owl.
Brown.
It's totally different...
Hi, my name is William Brown.
I'm the founder and executive director of how Freeport, the program that we submitted a
funding request for is check-in mentoring program.
So the check-in mentoring program right now, we're taking a small break on it, but we're
going to start it up.
Basically is for fourth to sixth graders, we facilitate the program out of the Boys and Girls Club. And it's also connected with on career ship and team setbacks. So we have fastballing. So we have coach mentors and three continuous mentors. And right now everything is all voluntary. It's the need that we recognize that we want to give to the young people, these young men specifically.
I hope Freeport's mission is to address the root causes of community violence, and we do that by youth initiatives, mentoring, mediating, and getting ahead of what we think potential problems may be in a community.
We know early impact is prevention when we talk about community violence, so what the Check In Mentoring Program addresses.
The second mentoring program addresses is emotional intelligence, conflict resolution,
entrepreneurial aspects, also getting the young people to really be able to express themselves.
Also a component of it is once we have our sessions, mostly twice a week, that we give
them things to take home to interact with their parents.
So we also do the academic hustle is what we call it, where our young men become champions
in the classroom, as well as the community.
We our core principles is the pale principles and the curriculum is available if you all
want to see it's created and designed by ourselves.
So that is the program that health reporters request to find a chief.
I see you're requesting for $5,500, so can you get by with less? Could you still continue
the program if we only gave you whatever we decided to give you? Would the program continue
if we gave you less than $5,500?
Yes, like I say, the program is voluntary, so all of the mentors and the co-dentors,
We do it because we understand your need, all right?
So we just wanted to get out and understand these other great programs, other organizations
that work with us.
So it was just the idea of putting what that impact of that amount of funding would do
for the program.
But the program will continue.
Okay.
Did you know Mr. Fair and Mr. Hilton, they have a similar program like yours?
No, I wasn't in Freeport at that time.
Oh, okay.
they worked with younger people taught them discipline and you know and stuff like that.
And understanding like one of the biggest core of what I hope is the impact of social media.
So some of you may be familiar with me and the work the health report does and we understand a lot
of the root cause of the community balance that we see is the impact of social media like it's not
and Sanchez, three, four, three, overall it's a lot I think.
So one of the differences that may separate us
from that program and the previous program
and that we focus a lot on self active, right?
Define what manhood is and understanding that social media
doesn't have to dictate.
I do have a couple of questions.
And also I'll make a comment first.
Mr. Brown and I have worked side by side
during his summer cleanup is because I'm part of the pretzel
pickers. So that's how we know each other. I know that he has
a, he has a cleanup day in a specific area that he has a
block party in that area. Yeah, resource block party, which
we're working on a plan for our table this year, I guess. And we
and I also know too that you also have a church service
during that same space time too.
But anyway, so I've been well acquainted
with his High Hope program.
The questions I have are your line item budget
on your page with amounts,
you separated down the cost of your program
and the amounts in your line item budget
do not match your Lynette narrative. So I'm just wondering if you, if it didn't get moved or
something like that. Yeah, so we had to move some things around. One of the parts of, and I won't
take the blame on that, we wanted to, exposure is a big thing, right? So one of the things that we
wanted to do was take the boys to know that Louis University, as well as the recent downsizing street.
and I think my quiet mind was when they responded on what the cost would be,
I had an initial cost there and then once I got the confirmation on what the cost was so that maybe
it will be the mix up. Yeah well that's the thing is it looks like you yeah it looks like you had
some ideas up here yeah you had some ideas down here and you just didn't get coordinated. So try
to make it as accurate as possible and also give the board an idea of where every dollar is going
All right, so it won't be a missed use.
Okay, thank you.
And just to comment on Ms. Williams,
what she's speaking on is the 40 Days of Peace
in Community Building, and we are going into the second year,
so I would invite all of the board members
to come out and be a part of it.
And Ms. Williams and the great press and pictures,
we have three-day events, and on Fridays,
We go out and do what we call Refund the Block, which simply is go up and clean up the community where we would be having our Resource Block Parties at, and our Resource Block Parties is when we invite other organizations like Miles Voices to come out.
Voices, we had Center City participate last year, Smart Guns for Kids, Robbie Capp and Justin.
We had community organizations, the goal is to meet people where they're at.
So normally the areas that we go in is six designated locations and free port that we identify as high hold areas that we feel need the resources and may not be aware of it.
So we invite the board to come out soon. You can follow the high hold page for more information.
We have something else to be construction on now.
Very nice. Thank you. I just have one question. Yes ma'am. Do you bring religion? Do you bring life into it all? So there are three day events. So the 40 days of peace and community building and what they exist of is three events. And we also have a shoots and our guns tournament. Well, last year we had 80 youth participate in it. We did that also to the Boys and Girls Club. But Friday is the beautiful fight the block. Saturday is the
Resource Block Party, and Sunday is what we call Church in the Streets that's presented
by the Faithful Youth for Peace. So it's clergy people Sunday that literally have church in
the streets. And it will be at the same location. And I brought flies. And I'm sorry, I know
I'm taking up everybody's time. We also have the Youth Expo. We're doing our second annual
Youth Entrepreneurs Expo that will be at Sunnybaker the past July 11th to be at the main Adam Street stage.
All right well thank you very much. Thank you all for your time. Thank you.
Okay next I have vote wins.
That's what I'm supposed to read.
Okay. This letter is from Lindsey McDonnell.
Hello, I wanted to reach out regarding the grant opportunity and share that Hope Winds would be a strong potential recipient.
Unfortunately, I regret missing tonight's meeting.
We have our Hope Winds Board meeting this evening, which we were unable to hold last month due to illness.
it was important that we proceed as scheduled.
I did consider sending someone in my place,
but all our key members are participating
in the board meeting as well.
I did want to share that the grant being discussed
is based on a program we already have
fully implemented at Hope Winds.
The program is currently running and going extremely well.
We are seeing meaningful impact with the families
and the youth we serve.
I included some recent feedback below
to provide a snapshot of that success.
I would welcome the opportunity to connect further and answer any questions or provide
any information. You may be considered potential recipients. And I do have her contact information
if anybody's interested. Yeah, information she included is on the back of your screen.
And let's see, she has, with today's event, give you tools, strategies or ideas you can
News at Home, 95% said yes, and it's hard to tell what the rest of them, but 95% said
yes, and that's pretty good. I felt welcomed and included at today's event, and 64% said
yes, and zero no's. So from those graphs, I would say that the program seems to be doing
Weld, and I'm going to see if there are any questions. There also is just a thought here. She's talking on page five, that's the top paragraph. She's talking about the clear year implementation of 10 family connection events annually.
She says the cost of each one costs $800.
It did reset. Yeah.
Jen Family, Commissioner,
The page part of that shows the total project costs $8,000, but they're only requesting $32,000.
Right, right.
Unfortunately, I think, you know, yes.
So are there any other questions or comments about the packet that they sent us?
They have some nice letters of recommendation.
So, we'll take that one and do that one then. Then the next one is R.A.M.P. Is that someone from R.A.M.P.?
Nope. Okay. Well, let's look at Ramp 50. Good.
Well, what I've read is, Ramp is a, you know, they're a well known, established
programization. And it looks like they're going to use, they would use it, be using the money on a program to
help students that are with disabilities try and fit in better at school and more mobility,
some training involved so that they fit into the community better or
I don't know necessarily better, more comfortably as it is.
2,000, 2,000, total budget is going to be 9,000, anybody have any comments, questions
on their information packet?
I wish we had more money to give out.
Yeah.
Okay.
Next one is SOG.
That's a bit of S-O-G-S-T.
Sounds of good news.
There you go.
Sounds of good news.
Well, good evening.
Hi, Barbara.
I'm so glad I don't have sounds of bad news.
Yes.
Yeah, please do that.
But it's good to see all of you.
Many of you would remember me.
I kind of fell into a legacy that a mom taught us seven kids
to use our talents and our experiences
to help make our communities better.
And that's what I've been doing my whole life.
And this year marks 47 years of inspiring
and empowering people to be their best,
especially young people.
But I throw the adults in there too,
because adults like to hear my music.
Absolutely. That's not my fault. No. But I do want to say that, um, basically for me in our packet, you can see a lot of really special things that occurred in the last couple of years, we did apply and we see a couple of years ago, we missed it last year, I ended up giving some late information, it didn't apply, but this year we have a really nice packet
Be sure and go to the website.
There are lots of wonderful music videos with kids in it.
We're really excited.
I'm glad to have my lovely wife, Diana, with us tonight.
She's Director of Education for our Young Eagle Success
Yes Club.
We are happy to continue working with Freeport Middle School
sixth, seventh, and eighth grade choir participants.
and these kids are coming out of their shells.
I don't know what happened.
All I know is that we're getting a lot of young people
who don't sing, they don't dance,
but when they spend a few minutes with me,
they're singing and dancing.
So I don't know, I can't explain that,
but I do know that it's about inspiration.
And for me, it's about perspiration.
I do want to say that I'm thankful for Georgia.
I appreciate her.
She's been helping keep me in line here
and also for Chairman Helms, of course, it's nice to see him.
And I wanted to mention Mr. Larson also,
just because he knows I'm on his side,
I'm kind of in another area,
but our programs are all about anti-drugs,
anti-crime, anti-violence.
So I'm his friend, we don't talk every day,
but I'm absolutely his friend.
and I do want to also mention Mr. Hadley.
Thank you, Sheriff, for so many years of inspiration
and you have been a great supporter of the Yes Club
and you just spilled all the beans
when you said I should brought my keyboard in there.
It's so funny because I'm kind of slowing down.
I'm getting old, getting kind of tired,
but I'm still inspired.
But I just wanted to say to all of you,
He's really not about the amount of dollars per se,
but it's more about the work that we can do
to help kids get good grades, behave
and to learn how to be community servants as well.
And a lot of young people are learning from us
that community service does count.
And now, as all of you know, in college,
it counts when high school students
have Community Service. And that's just something that I've always had just because that's how we were taught. So when mom was in the Illinois History Magazine in 1963, I was too, I was a little squirt on the bottom is like stair step. But she passed in 2020. But I am thankful for her because she didn't just write songs and write poetry. April is National Poetry Month, also Jazz Appreciation Month. So you know, try to jam. When we
I appreciate all of you because it's a very serious thing to be able to say that you are a part of the solution for, in our case, young people, and teens have to deal with so much stuff, but like at least with us, we do character development for excellence, and we also use fine arts to promote unity and diversity and to promote things that matter.
who's in one of the classes and so we're working with one of the music teachers in the district
so she said Mr. C you know he wants to be in it a lot of them want to meet you they've been online
they saw you so they want to see what this is all about but this particular young man evidently said
you know I don't I don't think that Mr. C can reach me or whatever so she told Diana and we said well
I mean it's not about bus reaching him as much as all of us reaching each other and he's a part of the family so when he came his first day and I'll just say this I'm not joking or kidding or anything I do have a good sense of humor but I will tell you this I almost had to sit that young guy down he was so excited he was jumping all over the place doing I almost said that's too much dude that's too much but he was so happy
and I just said you know to see young people to be excited about something that is directly
connected to their inspiration and empowerment to be better and by the way folks you still
don't have a lot of programs that are teaching respect and it's just a strange thing but
I am a respect person and I will teach them and I will tell them if they have their pants
hanging down I will tell them I'm not scared of them who's scared of them I will tell
I'm trying to tell y'all this is just for real and he did and she cried and I found out later because she said you hardly ever hear anybody that would really stand up for respect. Guess what? I tell them to watch their language. I'm not going to deal with the first grader cussing me out. I'm not going to be the first and last time baby. That's just for me because they have to learn how to do better. And the best way I
I think it's for them to see somebody doing better.
They have to see it.
They have to see love, they have to see light,
and they have to see life, and that's what we do.
So thank you for anything.
So could I ask you a question quick?
Of course.
Thank you for the presentation.
Fricke. Thank you for the presentation. Certainly. It says here on, you're going to use, you're
requesting $2,500 to, you're going to set up a webpage. Is that what the $2,500 is for?
No, we have that already. Okay. Okay. All right. I know he's requesting for $2,000. Oh,
I did. Okay, I was reading $2,500. I did. That was such a long time. Okay. I did request
Oh, great. All right. Okay. Oh, yeah. So you're mentoring the children with God in mind. And I mean, do you have meetings with the children? What actually do you music? I'm assuming music is involved.
Music is kind of the secret weapon that brings them together.
And you made it to Boys and Girls Club? Or do you?
No, we actually are in Freeport Middle School. We actually did the class. So they have select
students who get their parent permission slips and we actually go there and we meet with them during
their class time. And we do have a community yes club where we meet maybe once a month,
twice a month, and we do that at our church. But all of the things that we teach are all
All money, all Bible, all stuff.
We teach them to go to rule.
We just teach them the truth.
We teach them how to act right.
And there's not a lot of ways to teach them.
You just got to tell them and you have to show them.
And if you can do it in a way that they want to do it,
I believe it was President John F. Kennedy
that said that good leadership
is when you can get people to do what you want them to do
because they want to do it.
Yes. So make sure you Google that. I do have a question. Yes, ma'am. Okay. You're saying that your funding will cover fees for travel, class visits, and studio time. And then you put in front to see song compositions, arrangements, audio productions, and video filming and editing. Yes, ma'am. So you're doing that right now. So it's just additional. It's not a new part of the program, but these are all things that you're always doing.
Goin' because we have no kids and no projects.
See the children that you're recording and they're performing.
And we actually film them at the school.
We're teaching the songs and we're showing the different things
when we're there.
And then we also have core group kids
that us will die of their skulls.
So I can vouch for Dr. Pohl.
I've been to many of his programs and he didn't emphasize
but you still go to Springfield at the State Fair every year and present a program down
there for everybody to see, I've been to that program, I've been to your church programs
and yes, those kids are very polite.
When you walk up to them, yes sir, no sir, I mean, he has them very disciplined and he
He takes people that can't even sing and sing great now, you know, I believe it's a, you
know, I can vouch that it's a really good program and the money goes to good use and
stuff like that.
How many you have in the three-part program now?
I'd say around 40.
Really?
Sometimes we don't know where they came from, maybe 50.
I can vouch too, the parents show up down for the performances in the state fair and the parents
were always very happy that the funds are going towards to help their kids from staying on the
trails and giving them something to do. Let's report to our Homes Council. We want to make sure
and the whole family has been very successful. I know certain of you guys. Music is the universal language they say, right?
Yes, sir. And we are already online also because a lot of you have first graders, second graders, they've got four or five iPhones.
I asked one of them why you said well I had my grandma gave me one my uncle I said you don't need
five iphones and these are like fifteen hundred dollar two thousand dollar devices crazy you don't need
that and I said I'm sure you don't have internet yes I do I have my grandmother's code or whatever
and that means they can get off any website good or bad and that's exactly what they do and some
some of them have tons of girlfriends and boyfriends and different little phone numbers and you
may find out the hard way that all those phone numbers don't work because some of them get
cut off or just all passed with stuff.
But we're glad that we're here and I'm able to say, hey, I went to this school in this
building.
No, you didn't.
And we have one girl, she just lost her grandmother.
She couldn't believe that we knew her grandmother when she was a girl.
That's what happens when you get old and all your good-looking folks from here, you don't have to worry about it. Who cares if you get older, you don't look old.
But don't talk on my knees. Thanks so much for the time. Appreciate anything you can do.
Yep, thank you.
Okay, next up I have voices.
Oh yes. Well hello everyone. Hi. My name is Jack Revcik. I'm the Prevention and Training Coordinator
for Voices of Stevenston County and then I serve as the Camp Director for the Voices Youth Development
Camp. We have a multitude of camp programming throughout the school year. We have a winter break
camp, a spring break camp, but we specifically asked for funding for our Youth Development
and Sauer Camp this year.
We are going into our ninth year
with our Youth Development Summer Camp.
Historically, it was a one-week camp for elementary students.
Within the last two years, we realized that there was
a greater need within the community.
And so now we are a two-week elementary camp,
a one-week junior high camp,
and then we also do a high school leadership training camp.
Our camp is completely free.
It's just something that's different
than most of the camps within our area.
and we provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks,
completely free to the kids.
Last year, we served within our program,
our overall program, we served about 180 youth.
This year for our summer program,
we're looking to serve about 50 elementary kids,
30 junior high kids, and we're bringing on 12 high schoolers.
So our high school program is set for a week.
We train them up how to be camp counselors.
And then for the younger camps,
they serve as camp counselors.
Through that, we're teaching them leadership skills,
we're teaching them respect,
we're teaching them violence prevention initiatives.
Our camp in general is focused on social emotional learning
as well as violence prevention
with the focus mainly being on violence prevention.
This year, our goal is to hone in on respect, kindness,
and community-mindedness,
because we realized that we can't prevent violence
without looking at the holistic approach of it.
So we look at community involvement, community pride,
and trying to cultivate that with the youth.
For us, for the summer to run our camp,
it cost us about 13,000.
We did ask it from here,
we asked for quite a bit more than everyone else.
We would be very appreciative for any amount.
We focus a lot on showing the kids
that there are people in the community
that really care about them
and that want to see them succeed.
And so we focus a lot on letting them know
who exactly contributed to their ability to get the program in.
So any questions?
Where do you have the camps at when we hold them?
So we hold them at Bethany Church of Ross-Euston-St.
I'd also like to add,
I'm Julie Hillier with Voices of Stevenson County.
And I'd like to add that at Voices,
we believe that we change lives
because I think most of you know that Voices
Assist Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence.
And in the camp specifically, I think we more mold,
help mold our groups at that point.
And we do bring, as Jack said,
those violence prevention principles into key.
And we are looking at camp as a means
of helping instill those values in the kids
and helping build their self-esteem up.
And we will know whether we've done that
by, there are different surveys that we're going to give the kids at the beginning and end of camp
to see that they've learned whether, for instance, that they do have safe people that they can go to
and that's one of the things that we are going to be focusing on and helping just instill some of
those values in them. In terms of the money, the money that we are asking for, our ask is for
for all of the expenses that it takes.
We do already have some community support.
The $13,000 that it takes,
the State Bank Foundation has already come on board.
They're covering the mentor stipends
because the mentors do get a stipend of $500
for being a camp mentor.
So, but it takes the kids go on field trips.
As Jack said, we feed the kids.
So, obviously we're going to feed them.
So that's all of those expenses, plus all of our curriculum and all the craft.
all of our curriculum and all the crafts
and everything that they do.
It is just like a regular summer camp.
The kids play, the kids have crafts,
and then we do leave all of the lessons
and the prevention education principles
that the kids are already getting in the public schools.
When Jack mentioned she's a prevention coordinator,
we're providing prevention education curriculum
in how many schools, Jack?
We do every school across Stevenson County
from kindergarten to 12th grade.
So they're just, we're building upon that curriculum
to help reinforce all of that in the kids.
Yeah.
So I just wanted to, you know,
make some of those flights as well.
This is how we think we're building a more resilient.
Could you explain that?
It's like a curriculum for the grade in school.
So our curriculum is the BITE.
So for kindergarten through second grade,
we use the Safe at Last curriculum.
So that is a four day curriculum where we go when we talk
about safe people, respect on day one.
Day two focuses on safety with strangers
and then our body safety rules of saying no,
get away until a safe person.
And then day three, we focus on the safe touches
and unsafe touches.
And then day four, of course, it's like a review day.
We bring a puppet in, the kids love it.
Our mascot is Buddy, the body safety bear.
Our third through fifth grade curriculum
is a tailor-made, well, it's community-informed or community-tailored curriculum that we made
in-house called Body Safety Boss. So in 2022, we did a bunch of community needs assessments, we did
a ton of focus groups with youth, and we created this curriculum called the Boss Curriculum,
where it stands for Boundaries, Objects, Stand Firm, and Say Something, where we focus on
teaching boundaries, what boundaries look like, how to enact your boundaries, how to
and then also advocate for yourself and then what to do if someone crosses those boundaries
and kind of fighting against social norms versus actual healthy relationships.
Our sixth through 12th grade curriculum focuses on Aaron's Law, so that is the 2011 mandate
that was passed in the state of Illinois based off of Aaron Marin who was a child survivor
Director of Sexual Abuse, so we go in and we share Aaron's story, and then we focus
on healthy relationships, internet safety, consent, boundaries, really just about anything
that we kind of tailor every year to what the schools are dealing with.
So you know, we might be in Freeport Middle School where they're having a problem with
like sexting, but then we might get to Freeport High School and they're having a big issue
with consent and things like that.
So it's always different based on the school, but it's tailored to what the school needs.
Okay, any questions, comments?
Well, just one. So usually about 80 people go to this summer camp?
Yes, so we were capping it this year. Last year we didn't cap it and we had about, on our largest day, we had like 96 kids there and that was way too much.
and so this year we're capping it for elementary at 50.
It really does come down to funding.
If we have enough funding, we will open it to more.
If we don't have enough funding,
then we'll keep it at the 50th.
But right now, whether we receive more funding or not,
it's gonna stay at the 50th for elementary,
30 for junior high,
and then we're bringing on 12 high schoolers.
Many of the youth who attend the camp have experienced domestic homosexual violence in their background at some point, whether they were the survivor themselves or it has been in their household.
So this camp is vitally important for them to help them be able to get some of these coping skills and learn that there are better ways.
And just to add to that, even the kids that maybe haven't experienced domestic or sexual violence, it's open to anyone. So it's not just our clients or kids that identify having some kind of experience or exposure to it.
It is open to anyone in the community. However, we do see a lot of youth come in that are at more high risk of domestic and sexual violence.
and that also is partly because it's a free camp program and so the families that are at a higher
risk they don't have to worry about do I have the funds to send my kid to camp or is my kid going
to be safe at a camp because our main priority is safety of every time. We're one of the only free
summer camps. Yes. I guess you shouldn't speak of that. And Stevenson County and we're committed to that
and to answer any questions, we are committed, Voices is committed to holding this camp,
regardless of if we get funding, but we would really like funding.
Anything will help and be greatly appreciated, so thank you very much.
So we started in 1982 with the YWCA with the VoicesDB program.
They had a domestic violence volunteer program all the way back in 1917, but we incorporated
our own non-for-profit under VoicesDB in 1982, and then we incorporated the Sexual Assault
Services, when the Center of Abuse and Assault, Assault and Abuse Services, yes, when they
closed down in 2014, I believe, so we incorporated or we absorbed their sexual assault program.
They've been operating as a dual program since. 44 years. Yes. Yeah, let's say one thing, you do a
great thing for the community. I've talked to Carl many times. We have a huge domestic violence
problem in Stevenson County. I mean, every day I got somebody put the Sharks app on my phone and every day I walk on just a maze of the people that come in on domestic violence out of our county jail.
And I'm glad we're keeping them out there too, because I see the judges are keeping them in there and stuff. So you do a great program.
I know a lot of people that I've known that had domestic violence and they said that your program's excellent and everything.
So thank you for your community, for doing the service for our community and everything, you know.
Thank you, and thank you. You appreciate it.
Well, thank you, ladies. Appreciate it.
Thank you.
And last, but certainly not least, we have a Boys and Girls Club.
We have a representative from the Solic and Girls Club, doesn't look like it.
That was $115.
I think they've got recipients of this program before, anybody have any comments or questions
from them, from their packet?
They all did a wonderful job of filling out the paperwork.
I wish we had enough money.
Yeah, but so by, you know, looking at these things,
I didn't expect to have any that we said,
oh, give them any money.
That wouldn't be the case.
So, I don't know what you guys' thoughts are,
but since we have six deserving organizations,
I would say you just divide it to 10,000 by six,
which is about $1,660, unless someone has a different idea.
I'm just concerned.
Now, some said that they can go on with their programs.
I'm just concerned if, you know, if we're giving them the 1660, you know, that are they going to be able to use it or use it or not? And if not, you know, we can give it to another organization, you know, so that's my big concern.
You know, I mean, if we fully fund it, we could fully fund about three and maybe give a partial, but
It's up to the committee what they want to do.
I'm just always concerned that if we give just a little bit,
now like you said, they would, you know, utilize whatever they got.
you know, utilize whatever they got and so, I mean, it's just my concern.
I think they all said the same thing that, you know, they would be happy to get whatever
they got.
Yeah.
But now, some of the organizations weren't here tonight, so, well, the one organization
had a board meeting and I don't know why, nobody from the, so, we didn't get there as
That's two of the organizations that question, you know, so.
Right.
And another thing that I might mention
that we do next year is put in the application
that we, you know, have a deadline, look at them,
and then lay it over for a month,
and then award them in May or something like that.
That's a, I think that's a good idea.
you know, because we're overwhelmed this time and that would have given us a chance to got that or two people in or had Georgia to ask them, you know, send them an email to address some concerns and questions we had.
So, so I would say next year, let's change that, you know, where the deadline is April, we love them over, lay them over till May so we can really give a good decision on this.
but whatever the committee wants to do, that's fine.
You know, hopefully they'll utilize the money
we give them, you know.
Well, I would entertain a motion to just take the $10,000
divided by six and give each one a equal amount.
I'll make that motion.
Okay.
So I have a motion.
Can I get a second?
Second.
Second by Ms. DeMeester.
Any other questions or comments?
Just comment.
I mean, I think, like you say,
I think next year we need a little more time,
but, you know, it sounds like all these programs
are very deserving and that all of them can go on
without this, but this will help.
I think, you know, the more that'll get outreach
to the most amount of people,
which is what we really want to do.
So I think if this helps them offset some of their costs
and we can reach a broader amount of people,
I think that's probably the best.
That's my reason for making that motion.
And we might also have more money next year to budget too
because we're going to have some money left over.
So hopefully we'll have a bigger budget next year
to budget so we can give out more money, so.
Yeah, okay.
The other comment that I would make
is that I'd like to encourage public
to invest in these programs and to ask us questions
about what was submitted to us
and the programs that are going to be there
so that maybe somebody wants to make private donations
to these organizations too.
And I'm sure there are people that's donating to this.
Correct, and I think that's part of it
is that we need to share what we've just learned
in the program, I didn't know half of this.
I don't know unless Carl disagrees with me.
I don't see a reason why we couldn't lay this over.
I mean, I know we talked and that it says
that it would be awarded and it won't, but is there-
Laying it over.
I mean, if that is a point that-
Okay.
Could we get a census of anybody
who would be in favor of laying it over?
I guess the question I would have is, is that if we lay it over, are we going to sit and
make a different decision?
In my mind, I'm not going to make a different decision.
Well, that's, I hate it.
I think it's a great idea for next year.
But the problem, the problem I see is that either that or you've got to sit here and
you've got to say, well, you're not going to get anything at all.
And I don't know that necessarily that I want to do that either.
Well, the same some of that, we've done that before, we've fully funded some programs that we thought were, you know, they're all worthwhile, but what I would say is if we fully fund their program this year, you know, we would say we're going to fully fund somebody else's program next year or something like that, you know, that's like, we've been doing this for quite a few years. It's a great program and about contributing.
and Mr. Fair and Mr. Hilton had their program,
one of the Board members used to contribute to their program
since Mr. Hilton was on the County Board too.
So yeah, these are all good programs, I got to say.
And I'm happy that we have these programs in the community
because my years in the Department of Corrections
seeing the grandfather, the father and the sons
come into the prison system is not acceptable.
and I've been out of the business 12 years
and seeing some of the grandkids coming in,
they're awful.
And maybe we could have saved them
if we had programs like this in our community, you know?
So, I'm all for these programs.
So, yeah, I'll support.
Okay, well, I've got a motion and a second.
So, we'll take a vote.
All those in favor say aye.
Aye. Aye.
Those opposed, same sign.
Hearing none, we'll move to pass this over.
6 equal amounts. I hope that helps you out some. We appreciate your time and all of the
reports and we appreciate what you do. Thank you so much. And make sure you look at that
magazine article. That took a lot of work, but that one, take a deep breath, and you can
Okay, I'm surprised we don't have a motion to adjourn second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed, same sign. Thanks, everybody.